The present invention relates to a motor mounted pump assembly particularly adapted for use with an agitator-type clothes washing machine. More particularly, the invention pertains to a motor mounted pump assembly including a pump, a motor and a cover member interposed therebetween which protects the motor in the event of fluid leakage from the pump.
It is known int he art to fixedly secure a pump housing to a motor with a cover plate therebetween as represented by U.S. Pat. No. 2,844,100. In this arrangement, however, the cover plate actually aides in defining the fluid chamber in which the pump impeller is located and does not function to divert any fluid leaking downward from the pump away from the motor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,166 discloses a motor-pump assembly for use with clothes washing machines wherein a dish-like drip shield is located between an end bell of a motor and a pump housing and functions to divert water away from the underlying motor should any water leak downward from the pump. In this arrangement, the shield includes numerous downwardly extending leg portions having ends which are located in recesses formed in a top end bell of the motor. Each leg portion also extends above the drip shield and includes upper locating recesses which receive downwardly extending leg portions formed integral with the pump housing. Numerous spring clips then extend between the motor and the pump housing in order to secure the motor, the shield and the pump together.
Neither of the arrangements in the above discussed prior art patents fixedly secured the cover plate or drip shield directly to the pump housing such that the pump housing and cover member can be disassembled from the motor as a unitary piece. When leakage does occur from the pump housing, which is most often due to problems associated with seals mounted in the pump housing, the pump must be disassembled form the motor and either be replaced or repaired. Obviously, as the pump is being disconnected from the motor it can continue to leak. Therefore, in order to fully protect the motor and associated electrical components from such leakage, it is highly advantageous to remove the pump and cover member from the motor as a unitary piece such that the cover member can continue to function to prevent leakage from coming into contact with the motor until the unitary assembly is moved away from the motor and the electrical components of the clothes washer.
Furthermore, in the prior art as represented by U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,166 discussed above, operating forces developed by the pump are transmitted through the drip shield to the motor. This is undesirable since it requires additional manufacturing tolerances and a shield construction that can withstand these forces which leads to high production costs.
It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a motor mounted pump assembly having a water collecting cover member interposed between a pump housing and a motor casing wherein the cover member is fixedly secured to the pump housing and then this unitary piece is separately secured to the motor. Such a motor mounted pump assembly facilitates safe removal of the pump from the motor and washing machine. In addition, the pump housing is directly secured to the motor such that the cover member need not transmit operating forces from the pump to the motor. This direct connection also eliminates one set of manufacturing tolerances.